$55000 A Year Is How Much An Hour [Before & After Taxes]

Have you ever thought about how much your $55000 a year salary is if you calculate it per hour? I believe doing this will help you know the value you invest in your job per hour.

Truthfully, $55000 may not sound bad as an annual salary income, but how much would it be if you break it down into hourly, daily, weekly or monthly wages?

Typically, statistics proved that an average U.S salary earner should receive the range of $55,328 – $95 264 as annual compensation. However, the range varies depending on the individual’s State or City.

Now, the question is, can you meet the cost of living and live comfortably with $55000 annually? You don’t have to worry; I got you covered.

Here, you will know how much $55000 a year is hourly, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly, including how you can effectively utilize $55000 in a year. Keep reading.

 

 

 

$55000 A Year Is How Much An Hour?

If you should think about it, you can’t be working all the hours in a year. It’s not possible.

Therefore, if we consider your sleeping, eating, relaxation, transportation, and social interaction time spent, the working hours in a year will reduce drastically.

Moreover, sometimes you will go on vacation for your health or on international holidays, including weekends.

Therefore, for all these reasons, $55000 can’t be calculated with 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.

Now, how can you calculate your $55000 per hour?

Typically, the normal working hours on a working day is 8 hours, and a working week is 40 hours. Therefore, while you work 52 weeks a year, you have 2080 working hours and $26.44 per hour.

Therefore your working rate per hour on a $55000 salary is 26.44.

Notwithstanding, natural circumstances or extra activities can still make you work up to 40 hours a week or more.

Then since the income rate remains constant ($55000), while the working hours increase, you will have less rate per hour and vice versa.

Also Read:

• $40 An Hour Is How Much A Year? (Gross & Net Income)
• $35 An Hour Is How Much A Year? (Before and After Taxes)
• $50 An Hour Is How Much A Year? (Gross & Net Income)

 

$55000 A Year Is How Much A Day?

Do not forget that the average hours you work in a week is 40, while you work 5 days a week. Therefore if you divide 40 hours by 5 days, you have 8 hours daily.

However, to get your daily salary figure, you have to multiply 8 hours by $26.44 ( the pay rate per hour); you would get $211.52.

Therefore, your daily salary is $211.52 if you earn $55000 annually.

Moreover, the rate can be slightly reduced depending on the tax rates of your state or country.

Assuming your tax rate is 20% of your income, you have $211.55 minus $42.31, which is $169.24. Therefore your net income will be $169.24.

 

$55000 A Year Is How Much A Week?

A working week is considered either 40 working hours or 5 working days.

Following that, you can calculate your weekly salary either way. You can simply multiply your hourly rate by 40 or your daily salary by 5.

Either way, you’ll have the same figure, which is $1057.69 per week.

However, if you work more than 40 hours a week, your working rate will increase and vice versa. Moreover, your state tax matters as it determines your net income.

 

$55000 A Year Is How Much Bi-Weekly?

Bi-weekly pay can also be referred to as semi-monthly pay. It’s a system of payment in which employers will pay their workers twice a month.

Most employees prefer bi-weekly payments to hourly, daily, and monthly payments because it’s more secure and helps their budget.

Once you know your hourly rate, you can calculate your bi-weekly salary in many ways. Just multiply your hourly rate by 80 (work hours per two weeks) or multiply your daily salary by 10 (No. of working days), or You can multiply your weekly salary by two.

Whatever you do, you get the same numbers since your hourly rate is the same in every case.

Therefore, your bi-weekly salary is $2115.2.

Notwithstanding, your bi-weekly payment will slightly reduce after deducting the rate, depending on your state or city.

 

$55000 A Year Is How Much A Month?

To get your salary in monthly figures, you just need to divide your yearly package by the number of months you work in a year which is 12.

So, your monthly salary is $55000/12 = $4583 per month.

However, it will reduce slightly once the tax rate is deducted. Moreover, you will receive overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours a week.

Overtime pay is the compensation you receive for working more than normal working hours. You’ll get 50% extra pay on your hourly rate for your overtime.

So, you can calculate the overtime pay by multiplying the hourly rate X  overtime hours worked X 1.5.

For example, if your overtime hours, i.e., additional hours you worked, is 4 hours, while the hourly pay rate is $26.44.

You have to multiply $26.44 X 1.5 X 4 = $158.64. Therefore, your overtime pay is $ 158.64, and you will be paid $4741 at the end of the month.

 

$55000 A Year Is How Much An Hour Before And After Taxes?

As a good citizen, you must pay your taxes from either your daily, weekly, or monthly income.

The U.S has its tax system, likewise some other countries in the world. The same thing applies to the tax.

Let’s assume you’re in the U.S. Your total taxes shouldn’t be more than 25% of your income. These taxes will be paid to different bodies, including the federal, state, social security, and FICA.

Therefore, your tax rate will be categorized into federal tax, state tax, and social security/FICA tax.

Let’s assume your federal tax rate is 12%, while the state is 4%, including the social security and FICA, 7.65%. The total taxes will be 23.65%.

The total taxes will be $13007, while the annual net income will be $41993.

Now, what will be an hourly wage after taxes have been removed? $41993÷2080 (the total working hours in a year) = $20.2 per hour.

So, $55000 a year is $20.2 per hour after taxes.

 

Tools You Need To Live Off A $55000 A Year Salary.

I once learned that money has a soul, and it takes the wise to use it effectively. According to Lynne Twist, ” when you make a difference with what you have, it expands.”

That means if you can manage what you have effectively, it becomes much, and you can do much through it.

Hence, two people can get the same salary, but what differentiates them is how they invest the money and the things they engage in themselves. That will determine their achievements.

How can you make the most from a $55000 salary in a year? Or, how can you sustain the money and reduce unnecessary charges or expenses? Here are some of the tools you should know.

 

1. Rakuten

Rakuten helps you save money on your shopping. You can avail of their cash back or special discounts even if you shop in retail stores. They are currently partnered with 2500+ retail stores across the country.

This company is best known for its discounts. Rakuten users get 10% – 40% discounts on their purchases. That’s a big bonus to anyone who lives on a 55000 salary.

Apart from that… you can earn a quick $10 signup bonus and up to $30 per successful referral. Sign up here.

 

2. FlexJobs

FlexJobs helps you land any part-time or new full-time job you are looking for. Irrespective of their regular salaries, people are trying to find new ways to supplement their income.

If you are in a similar situation, this is where FlexJobs comes into action and cuts the curve. From data-entry openings to core full-time jobs, you’ll have thousands of opportunities at your fingertips. Work-from-home and remote options are additional benefits you’ll get there.

Check: 90+ Freelance Jobs Websites To Find Remote Freelance Work.

 

3. Fiverr

Working for two different companies is not an easy job and Fiverr is a great alternative for those who don’t want to work under a second boss or any boss.

In other words, you can supplement your regular 55000 income by yourself by taking Fiverr as a place to offer your skills to potential clients.

It’s an easy signup system where you can join and set up your service gigs. You can charge a minimum of $5 to a maximum of $2000 based on your job.

Literally, there are hundreds of services to offer that you never knew existed. Check them now.

 

4. Swagbucks

Swagbucks can be your best pal in terms of earnings and entertainment. No matter how many hours we are awake every day, we cannot use all the time to work.

As human beings, we crave fun and entertainment every day. With Swagbucks, you can have fun and finance at the same time as this app pays you to watch videos, play games, share opinions, etc.

This company paid nearly $800 million to users in the name of rewards. You can get a $10 welcome bonus on your joining.

 

5. CIT Bank

Another thing you can do is maximize your personal finance through savings. However, CIT Bank got you covered.

When it comes to online banking, most people have the same concern about whether it’s legit or not. That’s because most online banks have duped many people.

But the case of CIT Bank is different. It’s a reliable and trustworthy online bank where you can save money and withdraw anytime.

You don’t have to worry about annoying fees that can hinder and affect your budget. You have to open a CIT Bank account and start saving part of your income for greater projects you may have before you.

 

6. TurboTax

You might be having issues with your tax often; you don’t have to worry; TurboTax got you covered.

TurboTax is a software package where you can file your taxes online without a y future repercussions or consequences.

The accuracy of TurboTax is outstanding, and if there is any mistake, your money will be referred.

Moreover, you can get accurate advice from experts if you need it. However, you can use the premier version, while the most popular version is TurboTax Deluxe which is $49 per State.

 

7. FreshBooks

If you’re a business owner, sole proprietor, or even a freelancer, FreshBooks will be the best option for you. With FreshBooks, you can create customized invoices and provide excellent customer support.

Fresh Books is a cloud-based accounting software where you can send invoices, track time, manage receipts and expenses and accept credit cards.

It makes your work easier and faster. You can also join their Free Trial offer.

Check: Get Paid To Read Books – 47 Legit Ways To Try ($100/Read)

 

Is 55000 A Good Salary For a Single Person?

For a single person, Yes!

A single person can live off a $55000 per year salary very comfortably. He/she can go the extra mile to spend money on things they really want.

However, you can supplement your income with many available online jobs that pay $30 an hour (almost equal to your hourly salary).

You can add more bucks to your savings if you are most conscious of your expenses and spending.

 

Is 55000 A Good Salary For a Family?

I would think twice about saying Good even if you are okay with a minimal lifestyle.

It’s hard for a family to live off a $55000 a year salary. They must think twice before making special purchases, financial decisions, etc.

Each family has its own lifestyle, choices, or priorities. And if you are the only one who gets the bread and has other people to provide food or things for, then it will begin getting difficult day by day.

Raising a kid is becoming an expensive choice these days.

According to the latest reports, the average cost to raise a child to 17 years is $310K+. More than $18K in yearly figures.

In my opinion, it will be a tough journey if you have more than one kid and are the only source of family income.

So, a $55000 a year salary won’t offer a comfortable lifestyle for a family. Irrespective of your location or lifestyle. Maybe, some people can live off this salary by being extremely frugal and conscious, but I’m sure they don’t want to continue in that zone for long.

They surely need to get some high-income skills to land a second job to supplement their household income. (+Best side jobs ideas)

Luckily, if you are a dual-income household and your partner or any other family member makes another $55000 a year, then things will be totally different.

You guys can spend comfortably and don’t need to think twice. Your overall household income would be $110,000, and it’s really a great number for a family.

 

Best Budget Example To Live Off $55000 A Year

A perfect budget is a mandatory thing for hassle-free life. Once you figure out how much you are making per hour or month, then you’ll be able to craft a proper budget for yourself.

As discussed above, you get around $4583 per month before taxes. It would be $3499.4 (Let’s consider $3500) after federal, state, and all other taxes.

So, it’s clear you need to make a budget plan within your monthly salary.

According to the Cents Plan formula, you can spend up to 50% of that monthly income on basic expenses, such as food, grocery, utility bills, rent, etc.

You can donate up to 10% of your monthly income and spend up to 20% on other bills like insurance, medicines, clothing, education, etc. And you must save the rest 20% of your monthly income.

Here is our recommended budget plan, which we think is helpful to you and close to the ideal household budget percentages.

Type Of Expense	Recommended Ideal Percentages	Total Amount Allotted
Housing (Loan or Rent)	30%	$1050
Savings	10 – 20%	$700
Utility Bills	5-7%	$175
Groceries	10-12%	$350
Insurance	1-2%	$35
Medical	5-12%	$175
Transportation	5-7%	$175
Personal Expenses	2-5%	$175
Clothing	2-4%	$70
Education	2-4%	$70
Entertainment	5%	$175
Donations	10%	$350
Debts	0%	$0
Total	100%	$3500

The above budget is the right fit for people with no debts. In case you or your family have debts, you must prioritize them by lowering your allocations for savings, donations, entertainment, and personal expenditure.

Clearing your debts should be your first priority above all because they compound and eat most of your salary in the name of interest.

And again, you need to prioritize the debts costing you high-interest rates. Paying them off in descending order is the trick everyone suggests to save yourself from high-interest rates. Thank me later.

 

Can I Live Off $55000 A Year?

The answer to this question is subjective, depending on individuals’ beliefs, culture, mindsets, and upbringing.

As I mentioned, two people can receive the same salary, but their results might be different.

If you are a person who dreams about having luxury cars and lavish things, then you cannot live off this salary with satisfaction.

On the other side, a person who is comfortable with middle-class choices can easily live off this $55000 a year salary.

Most importantly, it’s a good sign if you are young and starting your career with a $55000 a year salary. You can grow and get more increments as you gain experience in your job.

It’s not a good sign if you have worked on a 55000 salary for over a decade. You should ask for a raise or search for a company that pays according to your experience.

The place you are living also makes an impact irrespective of your daily lifestyle. Things will not be the same for people living in high-living-cost states like California or New York and those in states like Florida and Texas.

 

Is 55k A Year Good Pay?

55k is slightly above the average income you receive in the United States. So, 55k a year is not bad. However, it would help if you were careful how you spend the money.

That’s why it would be good to have a yearly budget to guide you on how the money is spent. At least, at the end of the year, you should be able to point out something as an achievement.

Nonetheless, you can create other channels of income alongside your yearly salary. You can start a side hustle job like freelancing, investing in companies, etc.

 

Tips to Live on a $55000 a Year Salary

You know how much you are making an hour, a day, week, and month from your $55000 salary. We have a great budget plan too.

But are these alone enough?

Yes, they are good, but you can make your lifestyle financially great if you follow these below tips.

These little changes to your lifestyle will make your financial future more solid, even if your income increases or decreases in the coming future. So I can’t skip sharing them with you.

1. Don’t Cross The Spending Limits

Crossing your spending limits will make more dents to your budget and slowly make you fall into the most feared debt trap.

Once you are in there, you’ll have to live waiting for your paychecks every time. Going into that trap is easy, but if you want to come out, you’ll have to make a lot of sacrifices and pay hefty interest.

So, spending less than what you earn and saving a portion of your income will always make you happy.

If you are making $100 a day, make sure you spend $80 and save at least $20. That’s how you’ll be on the safe side.

 

2. Have a Strict Budget

A budget helps you know where your money is going, how you manage your finances and make changes or adjustments to your finances if needed.

The more you stick to your budget, the more clever and conscious decisions you’ll make.

We discussed a good budget plan above, which is close to the ideal household allocations. I’m not going to tell you to follow that blindly.

Everyone’s or every family’s needs and wants are different. You can use that as a reference to make changes according to your choices or create your own budget plan. No problem doing that on your own.

But the thing is to have a budget plan and follow that strictly. It works wonders for you in the long.

 

3. Pay Off Your Debts

Put your debts first and pay them off as soon as possible.

That’s the main motto in case you have debts. First, you know how banks and finance companies work. It’s their business to lure people into keeping them in the debt trap because the interest you pay is their main source of income.

Once you are wise enough to know where your hard-earned money is going, you’ll make wise decisions yourself.

The quickest way to become debt free is to pay them off in descending order. This means you pay off the debts with the highest interest rates first and clear the lowest interest debts last or later. This way saves a lot of bucks.

 

4. Save Money

When you have no headache like debt, try saving at least 20% of your income. So, if you are making $3500 a month after taxes from your $55K yearly salary, you should try saving at least $700.

Savings help you stay away from debt in emergency situations. Having an emergency fund is also a great idea, though.

On a good note, your savings will make good returns if invested wisely in bonds, FDs, or Mutual Funds. (follow licensed investment advisors only)

 

5. Make More Money

Focus on finding a second job or finding quick ways to make money in case you are not satisfied with your earnings.

Though $55000 a year is a good salary as it gets $3500 per month to your hands after taxes, I don’t know how it feels to you.

So better going for alternative ways to supplement your income than going for credit or debt. Here are some helpful articles to fill your income and expenses gap.

Read:

• How To Make $500 Dollars Fast – 27 Ways That Work
• 47 Proven Ways To Get Free Money Right Now – [$2000 FREE Money]
• 71 Online Jobs That Pay Daily (Some Instantly) – Upto $50/Hour

 

6. Move To No-Tax States

Tax saving is not an illegal thing. So, saving money by lowering your taxes is always recommended.

While federal tax is common for everyone, luckily, some states offer tax-free policies to their citizens. So, if you belong to that particular state or moved, you don’t need to pay any state tax at all.

Surprisingly, some states tax you up to 14%. So, you better know which states are taxing high and which are giving exemptions. Follow the below list.

High-Tax States	No-Tax States
California	Nevada
Ney York	Florida
New Jersey	South Dakota
Oregon	Alaska
Minnesota	Texas
Hawaii	Washington
Vermont	New Hampshire
Wisconsin	Tennessee
District of Columbia	Wyoming

If your job is remote or can be done anywhere, then moving to zero-tax states will save a lot of money for you.

 

Best Ways To Increase Your Yearly Income

If you are still not satisfied with your financial status, even though you have a decent salary and a strict budget, then you need to focus more on making more money.

Here are some useful tips that can help you increase your income in a very short amount of time.

• Ask For a Raise: (If you think you are underpaid, ask your boss for a salary raise. Most companies offer hikes to retain their best employees)
• Search For a New Job: Many companies offer hefty salaries to attract experienced candidates who are looking for a job change. So, if you get a better job offer than a salary hike, go for it.
• Go For A Second Job: Depending on one income source is very dangerous. Better find a second job or spend 2-3 hours every day to create a profitable side hustle. We have many proven ways to make money quickly through the internet.

 

Jobs That Pay $55000 a Year or More

To earn $55000 a year, you need to find a job that pays $26+ an hour.

Finding jobs that pay $25+ an hour isn’t hard, as this is very close to the median American salary. Here are some regular and online jobs that pay in this range.

• Regional Manager
• Business Consultant
• Researchers
• Architects
• Purchasing Managers
• Web Developers
• Loan Officers
• Construction Manager
• Chemists
• Physical Therapist
• Sales Director
• Freelance Writers
• Freelance Proofreader/Editors
• Virtual Assistants
• Transcriptionists
• Content Creators/Publishers

You can also refer to the below posts to find more online jobs.

If you love creating content, then you can start your own blog or create a YouTube channel to become a content creator.

Check out my recent Income Report on how I make $7000+ per month working on this blog.

 

Conclusion

After going through this article, you should understand your $55000 hourly, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly salary.

Most importantly, understanding how to budget and spend your salary matters because that’s what determines your results.

Moreover, you don’t necessarily need to depend on $55000 as your only income; you can invest in other things that can produce results for you.

 
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